American Estates: Nathan Armentrout Sandblasted Gourd with Bamboo (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Californian artisan Nathan Armentrout carves pipes inspired by the Danish tradition of pipe making, with further inspiration taken from the Japanese school, and this particular Gourd showcases that style well. The Gourd is a rare Freehand shape, one we don't encounter very often, and that showcases Armentrout's skill for rendering organic outlines. Something of a fusion between the Cauldron and Tulip, this shape showcases a distinctive bowl, with a pronounced, distended heel that extends well below the transition. This extended heel supports walls that curl forward dramatically, creating a pinched look at the fore where the forms a point in profile. The transition is wide, and it gives way to a short, subtly lifting shank met by three knuckles of Buddha belly bamboo. This shank extension is capped with a trim band of black vulcanite, marking the junction to a matching saddle stem with a plump, asymmetrical base that nicely matches the rhythm of the bamboo. Dressed in a crisp, inky sandblast, the stummel reveals handsome grain, as rippling growth rings cascade down the walls of the bowl.